Skip to content Skip to site navigation

Change Management Roles and Responsibilities

Name

Description

Change Owner/Change Request Assigned To

The person filling out the change and submitting (creating) it via the Service Now support tool.  The role provides all the details regarding the change, including the business justification, implementation plan, CI details, remediation plan, etc. that are to be included in the request.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Deemed the Owner of the Change Request from creation to closure
  • Generates and submits the change to start the process.
  • Enters the business needs, goals and objectives of the change and ensures they are accurate.
  • Ensures the risk factors have been assessed and verifies the validity of the initial priority setting.
  • Provides all necessary supporting documentation for the change (i.e. install, test, and remediation plans).
  • Provides CAB representation when necessary.

CHARACTERISTICS:

  • General business understanding and perspective.
  • A good understanding of overall production environment.
  • Knowledge of the organizational structure and the business-to-customer relationships.
  • Affinity with the technical environment to allow for description of infrastructure and operational impacts to the change.

Task Assigned To

Completes actions required stated on Change Request Task

Assessor (Assignment Group Manager)

The assessor role performs a technical assessment of the change ensuring that it complies with the overall IT Architectural design, that all CI relationships are identified and evaluated for risk potential. 

The role may also provide expert input at CAB meetings regarding the potential impact of the change on other CIs or Services not directly part of the change.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Ensures the risk factors have been assessed and verifies the validity of the initial priority setting
  • Ensures all necessary supporting documentation for the change (i.e. install, test, and remediation plans).
  • Ensures that all Configuration Items (CI) relationships are identified (affected and impacted)
  • Ensures appropriate resources have been assigned

CHARACTERISTICS:

  • General business understanding and perspective.
  • A good understanding of overall production environment.
  • Knowledge of the organizational structure and the business-to-customer relationships.
  • Affinity with the technical environment to allow for description of infrastructure and operational impacts to the Change.

NOTE:

Where a full-service Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB) exists, with all relationships defined, and technical details available much of this role's tasks may be automated.

Change Manager

Unlike process managers for the other processes the Change Manager has an active role in the day-to-day activities of the process as well as the responsibility for the day-to-day execution of the process.

Specific over-site responsibilities include:

  • Managing the day-to-day activities of the process
  • Gathering and reporting on process metrics
  • Tracking compliance to the process
  • Escalating any issues with the process
  • Acting as chairperson for process meetings. 

Additionally, the Change Management-specific responsibilities include:

  • Authorizing the Change Request (CR)
  • Convening & chairing Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings
  • Ensuring that the Forward Schedule of Changes (FSC) is current and available
  • Conducts post-implementation reviews (PIRs) for those changes for which such reviews are deemed necessary
  • Authorizing Change Process Models/Templates
  • Final confirmation point for Emergency Change type

Change Approver

This is a generic role (also referred to as a Change Authority or Business Owner).  Depending on the types and levels of approvals/authorizations to be implemented (e.g. Business management, IT management, scheduling, implementation) this role should be split out into separate roles to identify when, in the change lifecycle, they will be involved.

 

The Change Approver is accountable for reviewing the change to determine the readiness for implementation considering such things as: successful development testing, potential risk associated with implementing (or not implementing) the change; the scope and benefits that are expected to be realized; the suitability of the remediation plan, completeness of the implementation details; and the planned schedule for the various change tasks.  A Change Approver may authorize, reject, or return the change for further information/clarification.

Implementer

Responsible for executing the change tasks to which they have been assigned.  Upon completion, they must update the task with appropriate information and select closure code and/or status.  There may be multiple implementers for a given Change Request (CR) (each assigned their own tasks).

Change Advisory Board (CAB)

Advises or assists the Change Manager with:

  • Approval of high and very high risk/impact Change Request (CR)
  • Change implementation scheduling (FSC)
  • Post-implementation reviews (PIRs)
  • Approving Change Process Models/Templates

Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB)

Provides advice to the Change Manager in the event of a declared emergency change.  The ECAB is a subset of the CAB and may be called upon at any hour of the day to approve the Emergency Change Request.

Change Process Owner

A Senior Manager with the ability and authority to ensure the process is rolled out and used by all departments within the IT organization. 

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Defining the overall mission of the process
  • Establishing and communicating the process mission, goals and objectives to all stakeholders
  • Resolving any cross-functional (departmental) issues
  • Ensuring consistent execution of the process across departments
  • Reporting on the effectiveness of the process to senior management
  • Initiating any process improvement projects

Informational Change Requestor

Individuals assigned the access to create informational changes out side the control of University IT

Last modified March 10, 2017